This month, tucked into the nest of treats in The Vegan Box is a heavenly little hunk of happiness produced by the cruelty free chocolate elves over at The Raw Chocolate Co.
Their Vanoffe Dark bar walks the perfect not-too-bitter-not-too-sweet tightrope between light and dark raw chocolate. Eating this chocolate can make you forget you’re not eating something naughty. Eating this chocolate can cause you to accidentally make sexy, private noises in public places. Eating this chocolate can cause you to hear angels trumpeting in the heavens above. I swear.
Raw and sweetened with coconut nectar, a low GI and mineral-rich natural sweetener, this fair trade and certified organic choccie bar is ticking all the boxes.
The Raw Chocolate Co. preserve the super food status of the cacao by not cooking it away or diluting it with fats and sugars — so it is packed full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. And here’s the best news kids: raw cacao makes you happy. No lie. Raw cacao increases the levels of endorphins released into the brain — these little friends work to lessen pain and decrease stress. It also raises your serotonin, an anti-depressant neurotransmitter. Not to mention Theobramine, a chemical found in cacao that can lead to mental and physical relaxation.
And whilst you’re doing your happy dance your little bod is benefiting from the highest plant-based source of iron (at a whopping 7.3mg per 100g); antioxidants galore (40 times the amount found in blueberries); a notable dose of magnesium; and more calcium than cow’s milk at 160mg per 100g vs only 125mg per 100ml! Now you have the perfect excuse to tuck into a square or six!